Coffee makers



May 15, 1956 E. F. HISCOCK 2,745,335

COFFEE MAKERS Filed July 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l INV NTOR.

Ear/e, FH/coo BY yam KL ATTORNEYS.

May 15, 1956 E. F. HISCOCK 2,745,335

COFFEE MAKERS Filed July 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Shee1 2 INVENTOR- m a a,

' ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent CGFFEE MAKERS Earle F. Hiscock, Washington, D. C, assignor to Kip, Ind,

Washington, D. C., a corporation of fieiaware Application July 18, 1550, Serial No. 174,476

' 3 Claims. (31. sis-29s of cofiee within a coffee maker of the vacuum brewing type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description;

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views Figure l is a cross sectional view of a vacuum type cofiee maker, possessing some of the characteristics of the coffee maker set'forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 142,670, filed February 6, 1950 (now abandoned), and thereover having improved means for maintaining the coifee packet inefiicient brewing position within the maker.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of an improved device for properly maintaining a packet or unit of coffee within the coffee maker.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view thru the coffee maker taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1. p Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken thru a modifie form of cofiee' maker, wherein other means is provided for yieldablyholding the packet or unit of cofiee in proper position within the cofiee maker to efiiciently perform 1 the brewing action. 7

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. a Figure 6 is a cross sectional View takenthru a coffee maker of another modified form or means of maintaining the packet or unit of coffee within the maker. i

Fig. 7 is a plan View showing the coifee packet holding means of the form of invention shown in Figure 6. 55

. In the drawings wherein for 'the purpose of illustration are shown diiferent forms of invention, the letter A may generally designate a coffee maker'having certain improved features of the coffee maker of my above identified co-pending application (now abandoned), and wherein is adapted to be used a packet B containing infusible material, such as cofiee, tea, etc. Improved means C is pro w'ded for properly holding the packet-of cofiee within the maker A. Modified forms of the means for holding the packet of coffee are shown at D and E in Figures 4 and 6 respectively of the drawings.

Referring to the coffee maker A, the same comprises a. lower receptacle portion 10 and an upper receptacle portion 11.- They are preferably fabricated of steel, aluminum, heat resistant plastic, glass, or other material. The lower receptacle portion 10 includes a flat bottom 2,745,335 Patented .May 15, 1956 13 defining a compartment 14 adapted to receive boiling water or cofiee liquor, designated at 15 in the drawings.

The neck 16 of the receptacle portion 10 is reduced and,

receives a heat resistant and insulated plastic or synthetic rubber nipple or seat 18 having a passageway therethru.

The upper receptacleportion 11 includes a main bowl portion 25 of substantially a spherical shape, defining a compartment 26 opening at the top of the receptacle for receiving a detachable closure 27 of stainless steel, alumi numor other material. At its lower endthe bowl portion 25 has integrally formed' therewith a well 30 which has a reduced entrance 31 to the compartment 26. The well is wider below the entrance 31 and has a bottom wall 32 with a reduced integrally connected depending tube 35 provided with a passageway 36 therethru. The tube 35 is adapted to fit snugly in the passageway of the insulation collar 13, and it extends into the compartment 14 of the lower receptacle portion 10 in-the usual manner;

The coffee units or packets B consist of an outer cover ing of uniformly knitted or woven synthetic yarn or other material, suchas nylon or rayon. The packetcasingis:

filled with ground cofiee after the manner described in my above identified co-pending application Serial No. 142,670; filed February 6, 1950 (now abandoned).

it has been described in my application Serial No. 142,670 (now abandoned) that a weight may be used to hold'the packet in proper position for brewing. The present invention contemplates the use of resilient means and a perforated or foraminous cover for properly maintaining the coffee packet in position within the maker, in order that there will be a squeezing action upon the packet,

and thus enable the brewing to be most efiicientlyaccom- I plished. To that end the means C shown in Figures 1,?2]

and 3 of the drawings for holdingthepacket in position, consists of a segmental-shaped hold-down cap 40, which may be of plastic, aluminumor any other suitable material. It may be of mesh material and of course, if desired,

is provided with perforations 41, therethru of a size and nature to permit a'maximum amount of the liquid to pass therethru and thru the coffee with brewing action.

The member 40 centrally supports ap'acket penetrating shaft or pin 45, extending transverse tothe concaveside of the cap 40, and of a length to enable the same'to penetrate the thickness of the'packet B so that the pointed end 46 thereof projects beyond the lower part of the packet, as

shown in Figure 1. The pin has an upper portion 48 extendingthereabove provided with a handle 49 to facilitate grasping ofthecotfee packet holding means C for removal and application purposes.

wall 12 having upwardly convergent dome-shaped walls I The pin 45 is provided with a'transverse opening "50 therethru adapted to receive the hook end 51 of a spring 52. The latter is normally contracted and maybe expended to hold the cap 49 down upon the cofieepacket, inthe positionshown in Figure l. The lowerend of the spring 52 is provided with a hook or othermeans 55 adapted to engage the lower'margin of the tube 35in orde'rto assemble the device C in the position shown in Figure 1. A chain or cable 56 of suitable length may be connectedwith the hook 55 so that the device afterthread ing thru the passageway 36 of the tube 35 may be grasped to pull the same, into the position shown, where the hook 55 is engaged v beneaththe margin of the t be 35., I

In the type of cofi'ee maker shown in Figure 4, the

receptacle portions are the same as above described for the form shown in Figure 1, and similar reference charactershave been used in both of these forms. .However, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, th'elmeans D for holding the packet Bin position is confined entirely within the 'upper receptacle portion 11 within the compartment 26 packet without interfering in Figure .1

2,745,385 H thereof. The means D consists of a perforated concavoconvexsegmental cap 60 of'the same nature as the cap'i" member 40 above described. It is of mesh or perforated materialand provided with openings 61 therethru.

Arnie convex side ofthe cap 60' there ,provide'da flat retaining ring lofdisc-shap'ed formation, having soldered or otherwise securedto the underside lthereof spring arms 61. The latter-are soldered or ,otherwisese The arms 61 resiliently and'yieldably support the c2 60 cured tothe convex side of the packet hold-down cap 60;

upon the ring 62. I The ring 62-is provided with slots or recesses 64 inwardly from the outer marginal edge thereof, 'adapted'to receive'r etaining lugs 65'which are integrallyorothenvise connected .uponthefinner surface of the receptacle 11 ,"as"shown infigures '4 and S ofthe drawings; Thisjiug andslot arrangement enables the ring or disc "62 to be retained beneaththe lugs 65, from which position it may be readily' removed. In' this position the, spring arms 61 are slightly compressed in order to resiliently hold the cap 60 upon the packet B. It is to "benoted that it is not necessary to perforate the coffee packet B'with the hold-down device D.

"To facilitate handling of the device D, I may provide an'aagial handleorjshaft 78 supported by arms 71; the

I'atter'being suitably secured to the ring 62, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.-- v e In the use of the cofiee maker shown inFig'uresjtand 5 it is-merely necessary to drop the packet B 'irito'the 'receptacler ll and his then positionedabove the'w'ellfifi- The cofiee' packet retaining means 'D is then'lowered'into' the receptacle aridthe-slots =64 aligned with the lugs ;65.

until the ring portion 62 lies beneath the lugs 65. By giving aslight turn to the means D thelugs 65 willhold 'the ring 62 in position with the spring arms 61 compressedfor resiliently. urging the packet B into proper position above thewell and against the inside surfaces 7 of a the receptacle. portion 11 iln the form of inv'ention shown in Figures 6 and 7, a coifee' packet retaining" means E is provided. In gthat form the' receptacle portionll of the cofiee maker is modified by providing a retaining. rib or. boss 65* uponthe inner wallthereof. a

i iThecofiee retaining means -E preferablyeonsis tsof-{a' perforated segmentalhold-down cap or disch80 of the same nature as the caps 40 and 60 above'described; being provided with perforations ;81"therein.' Radiallyfand y upwardly divergent arms 83 are provided; of a length that will enable. thesame to beslipped-togthe under side of the retain the cap-80 and the cofiee I The cap 80 furthermore includes Y ai-curve'd spring arm 90 securedto the periphery of the furnish a mass of weight which will assist in the squeezing action'upon the packet. There will; of course, not be any violent spurts of'the brewing liquor from the upper I bowl, as is frequently the case with conventional vacuum coffee makers.

Various changes in the shape, size and, arrangement"v of parts may be made to theform of invention hereinshown and described without departing from thespitit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

'Iclaim: v 1. In a vacuum type cotfee maker'the combination of upper and lower receptacle portions; the upper receptacle portion having a tube connected therewithdepending into the lower receptacle portion, said tube having apassageway'therethru communicating with said receptacle porably connected to the packetso that the tension the'reofi.

will pull the packet into position across said passageway; said packet connecting means including a coveringiover the top major area of the packet, said spring beingofsuch tensionthat as an incidentof ebullition ofgliqui'd thru said passageway it will resiliently flex so the,

packet will be given an intermittent squeezing actio by said coveringlin the upper receptacle portion. i

A vacuum type coifeemaker comprising a lowerlre ceptacle portion having a chamber therein, an upper receptacle portion having a cha b$r therein, 'a' tube" having a passageway communicating said two chambers," said tube extending downwardly intothechamb'erof the lower receptacle-portion, "therupper receptacle pq on having an interiorwall surface marginally surrounding the passageway of said tube; a coffee packet infcludinglfa.

t flexible porousfcasing having coffee particles disposedjand encased therein, said packet being offsuch-si'z e'that-fit will extend. entirely across said pasageway in overlying position upon the interior wall-.surface-offsaid upperreceptacleportion; and means for. hoid'ingsaid cofiee packet in such position including a perforatedcap coveringth ajor massot coffee in the pacltegand spring means urging said cap againstsaid packet'with emerging-tome that will yield-as. an incident of ebullitionof. boiling liquid thru-the tube from the lowerreceptacle;chamberintotthet retainingsegment .80. The same is of-such length; that and thereof be h k rrng ged beneath.

' aflange 92'surrounding the opening 93 oftheireceptacle portionllc. In this position the arm 90 is under com pressionto resilientlyurge the jcap or retaining portion be apparent fromthe foregoing L that the. hold upper receptacle portion having aehamber therein, is

connecting said chambers and, extending downwardly stream of'liquor. The caps-will cover the major toplarea of the packets and consequently bearuponthe main-mass of cofiee. The vapor and liquor have free access thrn the permeable beverage containing bag or'sack, and asjta consequence of the increasing tensioning and release of thepre'ssure against the sack by the venting action of lifting'theba:g,': an intermittent squeezingaction is provided;

upon the swollen coffee mass in the packet. The intensity p of the action. varies with the amount of heat applied to the cofiee makergas canreadilyrbe understood. The

7 bag and parts are of such related size that the bag at all times will bemaintained above the well chamber.

whileitlis intended that the retaining segments or caps of'thevarious forms ofinventionbe made of light-weight material, it can be made of heavierv .rnaterial so as to a p s wayjw iq f 1 n sa l t0 sha'clompletely flexible p'ack'etincluding 'aporoiis casing having a mass of ground cofi 'ee *therein r v V 'in the; upper receptacle portion and .oversaidpass age-l' upper receptacle portion whereby to. impartaa squeezing action. to the coffee packet and the coffee therein during such ebullitior ,.3....I n'avacuuni'type: cofiee maker the combinatioh of a lower receptacle portion ha'ving a chamber'the into the chamber of: the lower receptacle. portion having ray brine tube and or; size thatwill. not permit thesame to drop thrpugh the passageway of said tube, a eoneavo convex segmental shaped perforated capresting ppon-and V oyer'the major mass of cofiee of thepacket at itsconcave side freeeiving the packet. therein, and means yieldably" urging said cap against said packet with a force onlyisufficient to permit the flexible unit and said cap to rise ito 'a limited degree upon surge of liquor beingforced upwardly through the passagewayof the tube whereby to to'.

saidcap an intermittentsqueezingaction upon th'e major mass of 'cofiee in the packet during' movement of' liquor through'saidt be.

(References on following page). i V

References Cited in the file of this pateflt UNITED STATES PATENTS 51,741 Nason Dec. 26, 1865 133,582 Hofman Dec. 3, 1872 177,173 Theobald May 9, 1876 515,008 McClellan Feb. 20, 1894 519,108 Fontneau May, 1, 1894 785,693 Brown' Mar. 21, 1905 871,492 Dunlap Nov. 19, 1907 1,083,900 Brown Jan. 6, 1914 1,454,739 Holland May 8, 1923 1,876,474 Starkey Sept. 6, 1932 1,947,523 Hirschhom Feb. 20, 1934 Dubois June 22, 1937 Masin Oct. 10, 1939 Brown May 26, 1942 Wolcott Mar. 9, 1943 Kopf Mar. 23, 1943 Walder et a1 Feb. 20, 1945 Reichold Sept, 21, 1948 Carroll Feb. 1, 1949 Sacker Mar. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS France Aug. 3, 1910 Germany Aug 11, 1925 

